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A tale well-calculated to keep you in
Esther Luttrell
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The wind was starting to kick up, he noticed. Even though the old car provided a cocoon, protecting him from the elements, he was aware of the dip in temperature. It was colder than usual for so early in October. Trees surrounding the big plant where he worked were bending in the slight breeze, disappearing from sight when shreds of fog shifted across the woods. He hunched down further in the seat, pulling his wool jacket tighter around him.
"She's going to be late," he said aloud to himself, squinting at the clock on the dashboard. It was too dark to make out the digits. He knew he could turn on the dome light, but if someone happened to be looking out any of the windows in the three story building, they might see him and wonder what he was doing in the parking lot when he should be reporting for duty.
He squirmed around enough to glance out the rear window. The longer he lingered, the more furious his mother would be with him. He knew she hated for him to be late to work. After all—as she reminded him day in and day out—it was her recommendation that got him on at McKeery Electronics in the first place. It looked bad for her when he screwed up. Even though Eric Haynes was keenly aware of all that, he hunkered down even further in the seat. He was determined not to move until he saw Leigh's car turn into the lot.
That thought sent a warm wave of happy anticipation washing over him. He could picture her seven year-old Ford angling off of Highway 50, onto the nearly deserted 7. Eric closed his eyes, savoring the image. The road she was traveling would be very dark now. There were no street lamps along that stretch. Leigh would be concentrating on the spray of illumination from her headlights, alert for animals that might dart from the forest that stretched several acres on either side. She would then pass the Lake Lotawana 8 miles sign. A quarter of a mile further, she would begin to slow, watching for the turn onto McKeery Road. It was easy to miss if you didn't know where to look. The narrow asphalt drive cut through sycamore and pine, ending where McKeery Electronics, a sprawling complex outfitted against the night like a box of shadows, began. Here and there a light spilled from a square window, but mostly it was dark at this hour.
Eric smiled to himself as he continued to watch a kind of movie in his mind. The teal-colored Ford would brake at the gate. Leigh would reach out to slip her pass-card into a security slot. The wooden arm would lift, the Ford would pass through. Leigh would turn left, past a sign bolted to a chain link fence: Authorized Vehicles Only.
There were only a handful of cars in an employee parking lot that, during the day, was filled with nearly three hundred automobiles. Management was too cheap to provide more than a few—less than six, actually—old-fashioned, three-globe street lamps for the nighttime skeleton crew. The ones that were there arched down to peer into the well of darkness, dropping yellow-white globs of light onto gravel.
Eric was getting nervous. Time ticked away. His stomach tightened at the thought of what would be waiting for him when he went inside. His mother's face, heavy with lines and thick with layers of fat she attributed to her German peasant stock, would be contorted in anger. When she spoke, her jowls would shake in fury. German heritage or not, Eric attributed her excess weight to the mounds of boiled potatoes she piled on her dinner plate, beside slabs of pork smothered in applesauce. And a lunch pail crammed with Little Debbie cakes she claimed kept her strength up during long nights spent scrubbing an acre of factory floors.
Eric shivered and tugged his jacket closer. He had to shut pictures of his mother out of his mind. He'd been working up the nerve for tonight ever since Leigh Maxwell came to work at the factory. He would not allow his mother's wrath to deprive him of this night.
His heart pounded in anticipation.
Crickets clicked their heels in the stillness. Frogs made barrupp sounds. It was almost as if an unseen crowd was cheering him on. Confidence, they were shouting. Don't lose your confidence. Not now. Not when it's so close to happening.
Suddenly, there was another sound. The one he had been waiting for. A car was approaching. His heart beat faster. His hands were damp as he gripped the steering wheel and pulled himself to an upright position. As he looked over his shoulder, headlights cut through the darkness.
She was here.
This was it.
She liked the drive to the factory even if it did take nearly an hour to get there from her apartment on the outskirts of the Country Club Plaza. Urban streets were always crowded, and Highway 50 was not without its share of travelers, but once Leigh reached 7 she had the road pretty much to herself. The only negative that crossed her mind was a slight concern about having a flat on this desolate stretch. She realized she was probably one of the last holdouts on the planet, but she still didn't own a cell phone. There was something unappealing about being so readily available to anyone who wanted to intrude as she watched a play or a movie, or had dinner out, or even the solitude of just driving and thinking. Still, she knew that if she should have car problems late at night, in a remote area, a cell phone could potentially save her life.
"So," she mused aloud. "How'd you and the rest of the world make it all those years without the danged things?"
She was driving now past dark hills that resembled little more than mounds of shadow bumping against a black night sky. There was no moon, no stars. She considered turning on the radio, but decided against it. The silence was soothing.
Her thoughts went back to the subject that most often came to mind when she found time to reflect: Mark Hollingsworth. Leigh had been in Kansas City nearly three months, yet she still hadn't gathered the nerve to give him a call. She could rationalize it, of course, but the bottom line was fear. She was afraid he no longer cared. What if he married since the last time I saw him? After all, it's been seven years. That would make him thirty-two years old now.
She couldn't imagine Mark in his thirties. They had been best friends since grade school, he in the fifth grade, she in the third. Sweethearts in high school, lovers before he went away to college. That's when everything changed for them. During the time he was away at college. How had he put it in his letters? He had outgrown Windsor, he said. Kansas City offered more opportunities. He wrote that knowing she couldn't leave her elderly father. Since the death of her mother, she had been his sole caregiver. With him up in years, bedridden and nearly blind, Leigh finally had to give up her job at the library to provide full time care.
In all their years together, Mark had never asked Leigh to marry him. Instead, he wrote "We can probably find an affordable house in Brookside, or maybe over in Gladstone" and "It's time you saw more of the world, Leigh. Kansas City isn't all that far away. We can visit your dad on weekends."
Weekends? He needed assistance 24/7 and Mark knew it. Hiring a nurse or companion was out of the question. There weren't funds for that kind of thing, even with government assistance. She couldn't do it, couldn't leave him to strangers.
The letters were Mark's way of creating distance between them, Leigh felt. More distance than the miles between Windsor and Stanford's School of Law on the west coast.
Leigh's throat constricted with what she knew could result in an onslaught of tears, but she swallowed them back. Life is what it is, she reminded herself. People change. They grow apart and find others to fill the empty places. But even as she said it, she knew she didn't believe it. It had always been Mark. It would always be Mark, as foolish as that might be.
At 10:51 she reached the McKerry Road turn-off. The night seemed to grow darker, shrouded as she was on either side by thick woods. A bend in the road revealed a long low building that covered an area the size of four city blocks. A white shell drive curved to the front of the factory where elaborate potted plants bracketed a wood-and-brass front door. But that was for visiting VIPs, not employees.
She turned, instead, to the left, to a gravel parking lot marked Employee Parking Only. As usual, there were only a few cars belonging to the crew who worked from 6 P.M. until 2 A.M. By the time Leigh arrived to begin her eleven o'clock shift, the well-lit spaces were already taken.
Locking the door behind her, she pulled the collar of her suede jacket up around her ears, stuffed her hands deep inside the pockets and trudged toward a yellow security light over the employee entrance. Halfway across the lot she realized she was hearing footsteps other than her own. At first she dismissed the sound as her imagination. Without moon or starlight, she knew that even if she stopped to look around, she might not be able to spot whoever, or whatever, was behind her. In the two months she'd been coming to work, she had never run into anyone in the parking lot at that hour.
She picked up her pace. The steps behind her picked up theirs.
When she finally forced herself to wheel around, she was practically face-to-face with Eric Haynes, the factory's maintenance man.
"Oh, good Lord, Eric" Leigh sighed in relief. "You nearly scared me to death." She clutched at the collar of her jacket as they continued on, side-by-side.
"I didn't know you knew my name," he said so softly she could hardly make out the words.
"That's my job. To know everybody's name."
"I know yours, too."
She glanced at him. Although she'd seen him around over the last sixty days, she'd never really looked at him before. He was younger than she thought, maybe in his early twenties. It's the weight that makes him appear older, she thought. It might also have been the fact Eric had one of those nearly invisible personas. It was easy to be in the same room with him and hardly be aware of his existence. Up close, however, Leigh could see that he was actually rather nice looking, in an overweight and excruciatingly shy way.
The lapse in conversation tore at Eric. Just a few more steps and it will be over, he was thinking. Talking to girls was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but he was determined it would be different this time. And it was. I'm talking to her and she's answering me. Just like I knew it would be.
He desperately did not want it to end.
"I was changing a broken wheel on a desk chair in personnel the other night and I looked you up in the files," he said in a rush.
"Why would you do that, Eric?"
"I kept thinking someday I'd get the nerve to talk to you. I wanted to know what to call you."
She didn't have an answer, nor was she alarmed that this odd young man had looked at her personnel files. There was something so backward about Eric, she had an urge to reach out and take his hand, the way you would take a child's hand if you were walking him to his first day of school.
The taste of bile rose in Eric's throat. He was almost physically ill at the thought of their visit coming to an end. He had dreamed about this for two long months. Every single night. Even during the day.
"Where are you from?" he asked, fighting panic.
"You must know if you read my files." She said, with a little smile.
His face flushed. "Yeah, I know. Windsor. Where's that?"
"About eighty miles from here. Near Clinton."
"I was born in Kansas City," he said. They were almost at the side door.
He danced ahead then turned to her, walking backward. "I made a lamp out of a milk can one time."
Leigh found his effort to keep up a conversation pathetic but, at the same time, endearing. "That must have been something."
"It isn't hard to do. I could teach you."
She couldn't imagine herself mustering the interest to turn a milk can into a lamp.
"You remind me of a girl I used to know," Eric continued.
"A girlfriend?"
"No. Just somebody I knew. She was nice. Like you."
The door was only a few feet away. Eric fell in step with her again.
"They changed my hours. Same as yours now."
He jumped ahead to pull open the heavy metal door. As Leigh walked past him, he made a low, sweeping bow.
Her chuckle pleased the shy, young, maintenance man enormously.
The corridor was dimly lit. Eric dropped back a step as they passed a bank of elevators then entered a reception room filled with potted plants and plush sofas. Double glass doors to their right opened into a vestibule where VIPs could leave their coats on a brass rack before entering. Those doors were locked at this hour. There was no light in the reception area except for those directly over a desk where red-haired Carolyn Keegan squinted at a computer screen while typing on the keyboard and listening through a headset plugged into the pc. Customers, vendors and company representatives from around the world placed orders, filed complaints and left messages all hours of the day and night.
Eric knew he should make a turn to the left and push his way through double doors to the assembly room. It was there he had to punch a time clock and report to his mother, who was also his superior. But he didn't want to go. Not yet, even though the wall clock over the desk indicated he was already half a minute late. He couldn't tear himself away. His mouth felt dry and sticky. There were so many words he wanted to say, but when he tried to form them on his lips, they weren't there.
If Leigh realized that Eric was still around, she gave no indication as she stopped to sign the evening log. Mounted on a shelf high in a corner, a closed circuit TV revealed a skeleton crew working in the plant. A security camera panned them, slowly, systemically. A cycloptic eye, peering, spying, peeking.
Eric watched Leigh put her purse in a lower desk drawer and nod a greeting to Carolyn who continued to type. When he could stand it no longer, he blurted out, "I get a coffee break in a couple of hours."
Leigh glanced up, surprised.
Eric stammered, "Do you? Get a coffee break, I mean?"
"No. I'm afraid not."
Carolyn moved the mouse on the pad, clicked SEND on the computer screen, and yawned.
"How's it going?" Leigh asked her.
"It went. I'm outta here."
A big Texas girl, Carolyn was pushing forty. Dragging thirty-nine as far as it would go. She got to her feet, untangling the headset from her hair.
"Ya need something, Eric?" she asked, annoyed.
Eric eyes darted from one of them to the other. Carolyn scared him, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the woman's flaming red hair, or the set of her broad shoulders, or the formidable way in which she spoke. He couldn't pinpoint the reason for his terror. Tongue-tied, he continued to stare, his face growing more red by the moment.
Carolyn shot Leigh an Oh brother glance, grabbed up half a dozen sheets of paper from the desk and stapled them together as Leigh slipped into the desk chair.
Carolyn pointed to a pink sticky-note beside the computer keyboard. "See that Mr. Croft gets this here note from Fergie-the-welder, sugar. He called in sick. Says he's got the flu and if you believe that I got a cute little seaside cottage I'd like to sell ya down in Tuscon."
Leigh glanced at the note while adjusting the headset. "Anything else I should know?"
"There's a couple of reports the big boss wants finished up by mornin'. Nothing special about them. Just type in the information from those handwritten sheets and put them on the forms. Then proof. The guy gets his jollies seein' all them sexy little commas and exclamation marks sprinkled just so on them pages."
Back down the corridor, the elevator doors made a low hissing sound as a tall, raw-boned woman, pushing a cleaning cart, stepped out. She was turning toward the double doors to the assembly room when she spotted Eric. His face went chalk white as the woman glared at him. Without another word, Eric rushed away. His mother lumbered along behind him.
"That guy gives me the willies," Carolyn mumbled, pulling a headscarf from a drawer.
"He's all right."
Carolyn tied the scarf under her chin and removed her sweater and a shoulder-strap, fake leopard-skin purse from a peg on the wall.
"Don't talk to him," she said. "You say anything and he'll hang around, driving you nuts. Last night he kept asking for a Band-Aid. I gave him one and half hour later he wanted another. I told him this isn't the damn first aid station, for crap sakes."
"Why'd he want Band-Aids?"
"Says he got splinters in his fingers. I told him to quit scratchin' his head."
Leigh bit back a grin. "The kid's just lonesome."
"Never met a creep who wasn't." Carolyn leaned to Leigh, lowering her voice. "And watch the raging rhino. She get mad at you and you'll have a scrub bucket up your butt." She shook her head. "Man, if they ain't a pair to draw to."
"Eric's hours have been changed. You're out of it. I'm elected," Leigh said, glancing at an incoming message on the computer screen.
"See ya!" Carolyn called, heading for the exit.
Leigh waved then typed:
McKeery representative, Leigh.
Hello, Mr. Herrmann. How is the weather in Stuttgart today and how may
I help you?
In the hours prior to dawn, at five after two to be exact, the computer screen was uncharacteristically dark. Leigh finished work on the forms to be filled out, and began proofing them. Intent as she was, she failed to notice the hiss of the elevator doors. Nor did she hear footsteps muffled by thick carpeting. It wasn't until a shadow fell across the page she was editing that she looked up, startled. When she saw it was Eric, she felt a surge of anger. It passed as quickly as it had come, and she managed a civil tone. "Eric. Are you purposely trying to give me a heart attack?"
"It's my break. I was wondering if you'd—"
"I told you I work straight through, to four. I don't get a break," she said, regretting her outburst. After all, Eric was only a boy. An odd one, but a boy nevertheless.
Eric's mouth had been open as if to say something, but now it was closed, like a fish gulping air. His baby-round hands came together in front of him, fingertips pressed, as if to reassure one another.
"I thought you might want me to bring you something. I got a big thermos of hot chocolate Momma fixed for me. There's too much for one person. I just figured…"
He let the unfinished sentence hang in the air.
"It's sweet of you to offer," she said, and meant it.
"I was thinking you might be lonesome out here. By yourself and all."
"I'm fine, but I've got work to do."
Eric glanced around the shadowed room. "It's scary here. Like upstairs. I don't like to go up there at night."'
"I find it peaceful. I can get a lot done when it's quiet."
"Too much quiet makes me think of dead."
Leigh studied Eric's gentle, frightened eyes for a moment then said, "I have to get back to work, Eric. Thanks for the offer, though. About the hot chocolate." She pointedly turned her attention to the papers in front of her.
"I was wondering." Although it wasn't a complete sentence, Eric hesitated as if waiting for a response. When Leigh continued reading, he added, "Can I give you a lift home?"
"I have my car."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I seen you drive in. That's right." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, flustered.
Leigh went back to the papers, but her mind was on Eric. The tall eight year-old in grown-up skin had done amazing things to Leigh's mind and emotions in the space of a few hours. He had frightened her, thoroughly frightened her, twice. He had amused her, made her angry, brought out her most tender maternal instincts and, along with those, made her both wary and impatient.
Reluctant to leave, Eric noticed the closed circuit monitor on the shelf. He watched as the camera panned the assembly room until the image of his mother appeared. She was on her hands and knees, scrubbing.
"This here's a pretty good show," Eric said.
Leigh glanced up then followed his gaze to the monitor.
"I can see where she is, but she can't see where I am." Eric bobbed his head in delight. "That's pretty good. P-ret-ty good."
"You've never seen her on the monitor before?"
"No. I seen you, but not her." He grinned broadly, pleased by the look of surprise on Leigh's face. "They got a whole line of TV screens in the security room. Sometimes I take my thermos and go in there on my break, and I watch you."
"But your hours haven't been the same as mine."
"Momma gets her at ten, so sometimes, when I bring her to work, I have to get here early."
"Doesn't she have a car?"
"Sure. But it's old and lots of times it won't start. When that happens, I have to bring her to work and take her home."
Leigh wasn't sure why she found the idea of being watched so chilling. She told herself, that in this day of Big Brother spying from satellites, she shouldn't have found Eric's confession to be so unnerving.
His eyes didn't leave the monitor. "Momma don't like me talking to girls. Especially at work."
"Why not?"
"She says they laugh at me behind my back."
"Oh, Eric, I don't think—"
"She says they tell stories about me in the bathroom."
"I never heard—"
"Momma says girls are like that."
"Not all of them."
"Momma says they say one thing to your face and another behind your back."
"What do you think, Eric?"
"I dunno." He looked back up at the screen and watched until the camera swept slowly to his mother again. She was on her feet now, squeezing a rag mop into a bucket. "I had a girlfriend one time. You remind me of her. Did I tell you that already?"
"Yes." She didn't bother pointing out the discrepancy. Earlier he had indicated that the girl wasn't a romantic interest.
"Momma hated her."
"What happened?"
Eric shrugged. "She went away."
On the monitor, Mrs. Haynes gathered up her scrub equipment. Her large breasts swung like massive pendulums as she moved across the room, toward double doors that would open into the corridor beside the reception room. Every step seemed to be an effort.
"I gotta go," Eric said quickly, backing away. "My break's over now. I gotta go."
He had already disappeared from sight when his mother entered the corridor. Leigh wondered if it was only her imagination. She could have sworn Mrs. Haynes shot her a scowl of disapproval before stepping onto the elevator.
The three-story house on Holmes Road, off of Brush Creek Boulevard, had once been a show place, but its time had long since passed. Now it was just another old mansion chopped into eight apartments, two of them in the basement. Across the street was the neighborhood park a determined community rescued from drug gangs that had prevailed in the 60's and 70's. Catty-corner was one of the few mom-and-pop markets left in Kansas City. Oak and maple trees lined the street that, in daylight, gave the neighborhood a kind of old-world charm. Leigh told herself that her living arrangements were temporary. As soon as she was on her feet, she planned to find a place that had no park across the way filled with darkness and fog at four o'clock in the morning. It seemed to Leigh that everywhere she went in Kansas City, she was cloaked in fog.
Two street level windows did little to provide sunlight in Leigh's small apartment. One of those windows was directly over her bed, on the west side, away from a morning sun that dribbled over the windowsill and fell in a puddle across Leigh and Miss Priss, her twelve year-old silver-white Persian cat.
Three steps from the foot of the bed a door opened into a living room where another window looked out over the park from its north wall. No sunlight found this pathetic oblong of screen and the living area was locked in perpetual dusk.
If the bedroom door were open, Leigh would have been able to see straight through, to the front entrance that led to the hallway and, further along, to her left, up a flight of stairs to the first floor. But the door was closed, and Leigh was still asleep.
The shrill sound of a ringing phone startled Leigh and Priss awake. With her eyes closed, Leigh fumbled for the alarm, found it, pushed the OFF button. The sound continued. She opened her eyes and frowned at the phone. Only Carolyn had her home number, but she had never used it. Deciding someone must have dialed her by mistake, Leigh was tempted to turn over and ignore the call. On the other hand, maybe she had done something wrong on the reports she typed up the night before. Maybe someone at work had a question.
Leigh frowned, pushed herself up on one elbow to get a better look at the clock. 11:37. She had left McKeery at four, made it home by five, fed Priss and puttered around for half an hour then read until nearly six. She had not yet found a rhythm to her convoluted sleep cycle. It took a second for her head to clear.
"Who is this?" she asked.
"Did I get you up?"
The voice sounded familiar and yet it took another ten seconds for her to place it. "Eric?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to invite me in for breakfast. Or is it lunch?"
Leigh remembered he had gotten her name from personnel files. He must have copied down her phone number as well. If that were the case, he knew her address, too. A warning sounded in her head, but it wasn't revealed in her voice. "I can't talk right now, Eric. I really don't have time."
"Oh." The one word was heavy with disappointment. "I wouldn't stay long—"
"No really. I've got an appointment with the dentist and I'm running late," she lied.
"I'm right across the street, Leigh. It's such a pretty day and I just thought—"
Springing to her knees, she looked out the window. She saw nothing but a couple of cars parked at the curb and a few more passing by.
On the other end of the line, Eric was still talking.
"I want us to be friends, Leigh. We are friends, aren't we?"
"Yes, of course we are," she said, taking the phone with her to the living room where she peered out the window facing the park and the neighborhood grocery store. Someone was sitting in one of the children's swings. While it was hard to make out details from that distance, it was evident she was looking at a man holding something to his ear. A bulky red coat concealed his build, but he appeared to be on the heavy side. There was no mistaking it was Eric.
In a knee-jerk reaction, she recoiled, stepping back from the window. "I've really got to go. I'm going to be late. I'll see you at work." She would have taken the time to say goodbye, but Eric had already hung up.
Leigh stood in the shadows of her dingy room, unnerved and not sure why. Eric was a strange young man, but she had no reason to be afraid of him. He was harmless and childlike. Or at least he seemed to be. Why then the wild pounding of her heart, she wondered. Maybe it was simply because he woke her from a sound sleep and took her by surprise.
She peeked through the window again. Eric was walking out of the park, toward an old sedan at the curb. His shoulders were slouched forward, his gait hesitant. When he got into his car, Leigh assumed he would turn from Holmes, onto Brush Creek, a main boulevard. Instead, he drove slowly in the direction of her apartment building.
Leigh shrunk back again. After a couple of minutes, she looked out. The sedan was nowhere in sight.
She returned to the bedroom, slipped her old chenille robe over her pajamas and picked up Miss Priss. She sank to the bed, stroking the cat. She tried to think but her thoughts were blurred at the edges so she gave up.
"Want some breakfast, kiddo?" She finally said, getting to her feet and setting Priss on the floor.
The kitchen was in a living room alcove, and shared a common wall with the bath partitioned off in the bedroom. With the window on the other side of the room, Leigh had to turn on a light before she could plug in the coffeemaker and find a can of 9 Lives tuna-and-egg for Priss. While the cat ate, and coffee brewed, Leigh asked herself why Eric frightened her so. He had made no threatening gestures. No advances, sexual or otherwise. She wished she had someone she could confide in, someone to help her see the absurdity in her misgivings.
Leigh got up and went back to the bedroom, intending to dress. Instead, she sat on the side of the bed and stared at the telephone.
All I have to do is pick up the phone book, find his number and dial.
She opened the door to a cabinet in the nightstand, took out the heavy Kansas City yellow pages, and opened it to Attorneys. It took only a second to locate Hollingsworth, Harper & Graham. She had gotten this far before.
Criminal Defense, the large display ad read. Federal, State and Municipal court, Felonies, Misdemeanors, Traffic, Appellate Practice and Expungements. Free initial consultation. Mark Hollingsworth, Sidney Harper, Debrah Graham. 816-555-2186.
Her heart raced. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach grow tighter as she picked up the receiver and put her index finger on the first digit on the phone pad. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She slammed down the receiver and got to her feet. How many times will I do this to myself before I get the nerve to complete the call?
She went to the closet, pulled out a pair of white jeans and blue striped tee, and took them with her to the bathroom. A quick shower, a brush to untangle the mass of brown hair, touch of lipstick and she was ready for the day. Or what was left of it.
Crossing the bedroom, she was thinking she should make a quick run to the grocery store then come back and pay a couple of bills, but she couldn't muster the energy for any of that. And she couldn't get Mark out of her mind. Only then did she realize why. He had a birthday coming up within the week. Every year for seven years she remembered him especially on October sixteenth. Scorpio, though an astrologer once told her that his Sagittarius rising countered the dark, brooding side associated with the sign of the scorpion. Throw in a bit of Virgo for order and neatness, Leo to account for his lion's mane of dark hair, a dash of Capricorn for stability, and the result was Mark Steven Hollingsworth. Not that Leigh necessarily believed in a reading of the stars.
She sat back down on the bed and stared at the phone, trying to imagine his voice on the other end of the line. How would he react to her call? Would he be as angry with her today as he was seven years ago when she told him for a final time she would not leave her father to move to Kansas City?
"Take him with us," Mark had countered.
"He'd never make the adjustment," Leigh argued. "He's too frail."
"Then put him in a home where he can get the kind of care he needs."
"I give him the kind of care he needs, Mark. I'm all he has left in this world. I can't do that to him, please don't ask me."
And on it went. Into the early hours of what would be their last night together. When he left the next morning, she knew in her heart it was over. Mark had had an offer from a Missouri law firm that he couldn't refuse. Their home office was in Kansas City. So close and yet so far away.
At first she thought he was too busy getting settled and established to return her calls. Finally, she had to admit he was never going to return them. After a couple of months, she stopped trying. And he never made an attempt to contact her.
She thought surely she would hear something when he learned of her father's passing six months ago, but no word came. No flowers, no card. Nothing. He had to have heard, she told herself. One or two of his friends in Windsor kept up with Mark. Otherwise, he severed all ties with the small town and its inhabitants. Both of his parents died in a plane crash while he was away at law school, and he had been an only child. Aunts and uncles had never lived in Windsor. Most of them were on the east coast, around Kennebunk, Maine. Mark's father followed his dream of owning a cattle ranch in America's heartland, and bought up over ten thousand acres, sight unseen, when Mark was only four years-old. Financial difficulties in the 90's had caused Hollingsworth Senior to sell most of the land and downsize the head of cattle. He was on the verge of bankruptcy when he and his wife went down in a private jet, returning from a Colorado ski trip. Mark, who had planned to vacation with them, would have been on that ill-fated flight, had he not been in bed with the flu that weekend.
Fate, Leigh thought. I wonder what it has in store for us now? Maybe nothing. At least not together.
The phone rang on the other end of the line.
"Five," she said out loud. "If there's no answer after the fifth ring, I'll—"
"Good afternoon. Hollingsworth, Harper and Graham. How may I direct your call?"
Leigh took an even deeper breath. "Mr. Hollingsworth, please."
"One moment." The line was quiet for a time before the efficient female voice returned. "I'm sorry. Mr. Hollingsworth is in court this afternoon. Would you like his voice mail?"
Should I? Leigh asked herself. Or shouldn't I?
"No. That's all right. I'll call back later."
She had finally done it. She made the effort. She tried to reach him and fate said not today. In a way, she was relieved. She knew the next time—if there was a next time—it would be easier.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Parts of the Respiratory System That Triggers Speech
Jun 1, 2009 Other 16450 Views
The respiratory system is one of the major systems of our body. It is the one responsible for the air or oxygen intake and airflow in our body. Breathing, in short. It regulates the amount of oxygen we inhale and the amount of carbon dioxide we exhale. Parts included in this system are the ones that help humans speak.
Below are some parts of the respiratory system. It also includes the description, characteristics and function of each part:
The Nostrils The nostrils refer to one of the channels of our nose starting from the inside and on to the external and the opening part of the nose. In mammals and birds, their nostrils contain branched bones made up of cartilages called turbinate. Its function is to keep the air warm during inhalation and to remove the moisture during exhalation.
In humans, our nasal cycle is when the nostrils become engorged when swelling and then gradually shrinking to its usual size afterwards. The nostrils switch over every four hours. This means that each nostril is used at a specified timeframe. The septum separates the nostrils and sometimes it can vary, causing one's nostrils appear larger as compared to the other.
The Nasal Cavity The nasal cavity pertains to the large space above and behind our nose. It is also filled with air and is located in the middle part of the face. The function of the nasal cavity is to condition the air that is will be received by the respiratory tract areas and the nose. The air that passes through the nasal cavity is cooled or warmed by one degree in reference to our body temperature. It is due to the large surface area known as the conchae. The passing air is also humidified and the dust particles are removed by the vibrissae. These are the thick and short hairs that are present and found in the vestibule.
On the other hand, the cilia located at the respiratory epithelium are the ones responsible for the moving of particulates of matter to the pharynx. After reaching the pharynx it is then swallowed.
The Pharynx The pharynx is a part of the throat and the neck. It is located behind the mouth and the nasal cavity. It is also superior to the trachea, larynx and the esophagus. The pharynx is also a part of the respiratory system and digestive system of many organisms. Air and food passes through the pharynx. This is why there is a presence of a connective tissue or a flap called the epiglottis. It closes above the trachea when we swallow food so as to prevent asphyxiation or choking.
The pharynx is also important for the vocalization of humans. When a person has oral allergy syndrome, hay fever or any other related allergies, it serves as the reacting part to allergens that produce common symptoms like itching as well as a burning sensation.
The pharynx is divided into three sections, the oropharynx, nasopharynx and the laryngopharynx.
The Larynx The larynx is also called the voice box. It is an organ found along the neck of mammals. It is used in protecting the trachea and for sound production. The larynx has vocal folds located just below the tract of the pharynx, esophagus and trachea. It is also the one responsible for the generation of sound, where volume and pitch are manipulated. A strong and healthy set of lungs is able to produce a louder sound.
Article source: http://eslarticle.com/pub/other/1481-parts-of-the-respiratory-system-that-triggers-speech.html
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Writing Perfectionist Pens Pap
Here goes. I'm jumping into the dark, scary waters of quick,
careless carefree writing to generate more views. I know my big problem, and and have talked big about doing something about it.
Big deal. Writing perfectionist pens pap. Or at least plans to.
Stop the presses.
Now it's time to practice what I preach and actually pump out some written pap, hopefully in about the same time it would take me to snarf down pap of the "edible" variety – you know, the cheap, popular concoctions of chemicals, vaguely approximating real food, passed down from a minimum-wage worker assembly line, onto a plastic McTray, and down my gullet?
Not that I've been eating much recently, other than the food I manage to quickly swipe off abandoned restaurant tables before some busybody busser gets to it first.
See what I mean? I'm pumping out pap. If quality writing were inversely related to sentence shortness, the one-sentence monstrosity of a paragraph that precedes the previous would put me in the running for a Nobel Prize in writing.
Do I make myself clear?
(Writing perfectionist pens pap.)
The debt collectors are getting restless and bold, like jackals circling a wounded antelope. Thankfully, the phone company cut my service, so I'm now blissfully free of those angry, threatening messages that just went on and on.
Yet I worry about that inevitable, first knock on my door.
Do you care about preventing homelessness? Well don't just talk. Here's a chance to take concrete action. Please. Read my posts. Better yet, share them, pap or not.
I'm hoping someone with money might take pity, and pass along enough cash to get me by for another month.
Is it too much to ask for a patron? Someone cultured, sophisticated, appreciative of great art, music, and literature, blessed with ample gray-matter and a fat wallet? Wealthy, aristocratic patrons ensured Mozart, Davinci, and other geniuses spent their hours creating artistic masterpieces, not emptying outhouses or slinging slop.
Yet those were better times. As I lamented in a previous post I'm now largely recycling, the cultured few starve, while the benighted masses reign.
Writing perfectionist pens pap. I've just pumped out a post about nothing better than pumping out a post, besides begging for financial mercy. At least it seems I'm well over the recommended 300 hundred word minimum for publication now. Saints be praised.
Shall it be monster trucks or trailer parks? Or is that too high-brow? I sit debating a view-grabbing topic for my next post.
As I put pen to paper, I can almost feel the literary masters of yesteryear, under my feet, spinning.
Pass me the Pepto-Bismol. Please.
Signing off,
(images from Pixabay)
Share with your friends


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Sales of daily papers have started to decline again. In the aftermath of the US terror attacks, sales of the New York Times went up about 4 per cent, the Daily News climbed just over 2 per cent, and Rupert Murdoch's NY Post jumped a whopping 15 per cent. But latest figures show that sales have started dropping again. USA Today has been hardest hit. Although still the largest-circulation daily, it has dropped more than 3 per cent to just over 2,200,000. One reason: the drop-off in the number of travellers. Many copies of USA Today are sold at airports, and most hotels buy in bulk to drop off at guests' bedroom doors in the morning.
Where's Tina Brown? She didn't show up at the New York Book Fair, even though she is still involved with the book division of Miramax, the Hollywood company that was a big partner in the now defunct Talk magazine. Some suggested she may be looking to new fields. In fact, before she took off on a trip to London, she threw a whole series of parties. One was for Lord Black, to mark the launch of the New York Sun, then one to celebrate the first anniversary of the US edition of The Week – for which husband Harry Evans is an editorial consultant.
Although it has been admitted it was an editorial mistake, the publication of topless pictures of fashion heiress and former model Judith Soltesz-Benetton may be the straw that brings down Penthouse. A suit, claiming $10m (£6.8m) damages, has been filed against the ailing magazine. A legal spokesman said the apology was three weeks too late, and there are no plans to drop the suit. A spokesman for Penthouse said the pictures came from a photographer who claimed they were pictures of tennis star Anna Kournikova stripping off at a Miami beach. "It's the first time in 30 years anything like this has happened," added the spokesman "We apologise to both women." Nevertheless, the 20-year-old tennis star is also now suing Penthouse for $10m.
Pictures of Chelsea Clinton smooching with her boyfriend in a coffee shop in Oxford provoked suggestions that the photographer who took them, former Fleet Street cameraman Harry Benson, had been acting like a paparazzi. Benson, who has been taking pictures of US presidents and their families for decades, hotly denied the allegation. "I wasn't up a tree, or hiding behind a tree," he insisted. He said he spotted the couple in the coffee shop, walked up and said, "Hi, Chelsea. I'm here to take your picture". She recognised him and said OK. He does admit he said to her, "Don't tell your mum". To which he says she replied, "I'm a big girl now".
It's official: the world's worst place to be a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, is the West Bank. It has become more dangerous for newsmen (and women) than all the other hot spots.
Oprah Winfrey giving up her book talk show on television was bad news for book publishers. Now comes news that many papers are cutting back, even abandoning, their book sections. Editors explain that book sections never attracted much advertising, not enough to match the rising cost of newsprint. But some readers are complaining, saying they can't understand why newspapers are playing down their greatest asset: the written word.
Jeffrey Blyth


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Register >Forgot password >
Home > parents > Pitreavie Primary School (SWFL)
This is the web page for your school's official uniform supplier. You can purchase
Primary School uniform in confidence knowing that these items of uniform have been carefully selected by your school to ensure that you receive good quality, hardwearing uniform and the prices represent excellent value for money from a company you can trust.
For PE
all children need
Optional items
All clothing and footwear should be clearly labelled with your child's name
Schoolwear for Less10 Carley Drive Westfield Sheffield S20 8NQ United Kingdom


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Hocus pocus…Abracadabra…I wish for you to become my blog reader for an eternity! Lol. So today, I'm proud to present to you my version of the Harry Potter Polyjuice Potion! According to the Harry Potter books, this is a complicated and strong potion, and upon consumption of this potion an individual can assume the appearance of anyone they want, as long as they have a part of that person's body like hair. Umm, okay totally ew and inedible now that I think of that…but don't worry! My version of Polyjuice Potion is totally okay for consumption and delicious! Although, if I got my hands on the real Polyjuice Potion, I would love to be Hermione for a day…or maybe a Queen!
So this potion is perfect for your next Halloween or Harry Potter themed party. Can you tell I'm super excited about Halloween this year? I've been 'brewing' up the idea for this potion for the past couple of weeks, and I'm so excited to share it with you. It totally does look like a magical potion, doesn't it? 🙂
So this recipe, unlike the actual potion, is quite easy and fast to whip up for your next spooky party. All it takes is crushed up lime jello, kiwi juice, pineapple juice and Sprite to come up with this vibrant green and delicious drink.
Now, before I leave you to make this potent magical potion, do you want to know about a few things that the actual Polyjuice Potion in the book requires? Well, you asked for it! 😉
Fluxweed, which is a herb/plant and it must be picked at the time of full moon. Another herb/plant knotgrass (so far, not too bad right?), lacewing flies (um so not appetizing) and leeches (gross). Okay, okay, I'll stop now because I don't want you to lose your appetite completely! 😛
Don't worry, though, because my Polyjuice Potion is totally delicious and also devoid of any flies or leeches…or hair!
Happy potion making!
Looking for more fall recipes?
Super Moist Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Muffins
Harry Potter Polyjuice Potion
- 6 oz lime jello prepared as per the instructions on the box
- 1 cup kiwi juice
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 16 oz 7up or Sprite
- With a fork crush the jello up so that it's in small pieces.
- In a large pitcher or jug, add all of the ingredients and stir together.
- Serve chilled.


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Cardinal O'Malley denies Christ
Cardinal O'Malley says [LINK]:
"If I were founding a church, you know, I'd love to have women priests," he said. "But Christ founded it and it — what he has given us is — is something different."
What's wrong with this statement? This statement is wrong in an infinite number of ways...
... by what it says.
... by what it does not say.
... by what it implies.
... by it's tone.
... by it's incertittude regarding the faith.
... by being blasphemous.
... by being heretical.
... by being incredibly shallow.
... by denying the divinity of Christ.
... by denying the divine nature of the Church.
... by being relativist.
... by being modernist.
... by kowtowing to a constituency -- radical feminists -- who are atheist and therefore have no interest in the Church except for finding ways to destroy it.
... by undermining the Catholic priesthood.
... by raising false expectations.
... by doing the work of Satan.
This statement alone should be enough to have Cardinal O'Malley excommunicated... but don't hold your breath because this will never happen as long as any of us are alive.
And you wonder why I say that the Church is dead?
Should I attend Mass in one of this Cardinal's parishes and give my offering so that it can be used to support him in his anti-Catholic and anti-Christ campaign in full harmony with the anti-Catholic and anti-Christ campaign of don bergoglio?
Should I pray for this man under the title of archbishop? NO!
I will pray for the man that he may be converted and saved from the fires of hell, but as archbishop, NO!
Nor will I pay or pray for bergoglio as pope. NO!
Pray for the man that he may be converted and saved from eternal damnation, YES!
... but as pope? NO!
These men with their small demon infested brains are killing the Church. They are anti-Catholic muggers and rapists. They are murderers.
If they want to "found a church" then go for it and take all of your demonic followers with you, but leave the Catholic Church alone. For God's sake!


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Start the holiday season off with a visit to the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich and Santa!
Saturday, December 12th for a pancake breakfast with Santa Claus from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. $5 per person
Santa's visiting hours will be 8:00-10:00 AM
Photos with Santa $5 each
Also includes arts & crafts and face painting
Musical entertainment from the Boys & Girls Club Carolers
All of Greenwich is invited!


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There once was a clever advertisement floating around stressing the futility of going totally paperless. The example was a world without toilet paper. When the pro-paperless character requests toilet paper, his partner slides a tablet under the door showing a picture of a roll of toilet paper.
I'm sure a bunch of us all smiled and nodded.
My response to the metaphor is a bidet; no paper required.
"Print Lives"
"Paperless office remains a pipe dream for many"
"Why paper still rules the enterprise"
Article based on information from as far back as 2009, the year before the iPad. Oddly enough, manufacturers of devices that scratch marks on paper, fund these studies. That's right, the people yelling "paper matters" and "the death of print has been greatly exaggerated" are the same ones making money off the sale of copiers and printers. Huh.
Surveys sponsored by print OEMs are receiving press coverage like:
Does one need to draw you a picture?
My response to all this "paper is still relevant" talk is Bravo Sierra. Poppycock. Horsefeathers. Bollocks.
I'm saying this to the copier sales folks, the managed print services practice managers and sales people, the toner crews, and everyone in the trenches - listen deeply to the noise, do not ignore the propaganda, analyze the content with a dubious eye.
Remember, your prospects DO NOT READ THESE ARTICLES. Unfortunately, ownership and sales management are consuming this tripe like it's 1999.
Clients don't want to be tethered to a copier, chained to a printer or slave to toner cartridges.
"And in your heart, you know I'm right."
The dirty little secret?
Our OEMs knew this back in 2007 and have been concocting ever since. The progressive manufacturers are reducing sales acquisition cost with a virtual channel; take a look at HP Instant Ink. Considering most of the buying process is completed without a sales relationship, today's machines rarely require service, and the fleet of vans scurrying all over the country, how relevant is a local dealership?
Now is the time to side with your prospects - sure, sell the shortsighted ones a copier or two - but keep your eye on the horizon. Dive into all the training you can and develop your personal brand.
The wave is coming, be ready to jump.
Click to email me.


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what transmission is in 2003 dodge intrepid 2.7
2 Answers
If you need specific transmission part number get the build sheet directly from Dodge: cut and paste all of the following link: http://www.dodge.com/webselfservice/dodge/emailpage.html?appStr=wccs&titleStr=Contact+Dodge&familyStr=brand&franchise=D&actionURL=%252Fwccs%252Fbrand_forms%252Fus%252Fwebform.jsp&promotion=null&category=R
You can also look at the body plate on your Dodge, http://www.allpar.com/mopar/body-code.html 3-digit code will give you type of trans, but you should look at the part number on transmission itself (you'll have to crawl under for this), if you get the build sheet from Dodge you'll have that.
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Behringer HB01 Hell Babe Wah
Behringer HB01 Hell Babe WahDetails
The Behringer HB01 Hell Babe Wah Pedal is a completely unique guitar effects pedal that provides you with an exceptional range of tone-sculpting options. The Behringer HB01 wah-wah pedal is capable of producing everything from ''old-school'' wah to the most modern sounds. Featuring optical controls that eliminate noisy pots, an adjustable spring mechanism and tunable boost, the HB01 Hell Babe is perfect for adding a new dimension and depth to your music.
Product Ref: 21874View Full Description
Spend another £15.70 to buy on finance Finance from £1.41 per month
Please note: This is only available where all items in the order are dispatched in a single delivery.
To make it as easy as possible for you to get the gear you want, we offer a range of instant finance options. If you spend £50 or more online, you can choose to pay over 48, 36, 24 or 12 months. The majority of decisions are given instantly, so you could get your new gear sooner than you thought!
Representative Example
To help you understand how our finance options work, the examples below are based on a total order value of £50:
|Deposit to Pay
|Total Payable
|48 months
|No Deposit
|48 months: £1.41Final Payment: £1.41No settlement fee
|36 months
|No Deposit
|36 months: £1.78Final Payment: £1.78No settlement fee
|24 months
|No Deposit
|24 months: £2.57Final Payment: £2.57No settlement fee
|12 months
|No Deposit
|12 months: £4.69Final Payment: £4.69No settlement fee
How to Apply
Applying for finance couldn't be easier - if your order totals £50 or more, simply proceed through the checkout as normal, then select Pay by Klarna Finance on the payment page, then click the orange PLACE ORDER USING FINANCE button. This will start your application with Klarna Retail Finance, our finance partner, and completing this form should take approximately 10 minutes.
You should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna may need to look at the application in more detail.
Please note: This is only available on orders placed via the website consisting of a single delivery, and is not available in store or via phone currently.
Full DescriptionView Full Description
Comments from customers who bought this item:
Complete Control
The Behringers HB01 heel-down Range control provides low frequency adjustment that can be swept from 440Hz down to 250Hz, which allows you to use the pedal with either electric guitars or bass guitars. Additionally, the Hell Babe Wah features a Fine control which allows you to adjust the toe-down frequency range which delivers a custom-tailored frequency sweep as high as 2.2kHz.
Volume Boost
The Behringer HB01 allows you to dial in a powerful volume boost - up to +15dB - which ensures that when you step on the Hell Babe Wah Pedal, your guitar will cut through the mix with outstanding clarity. Additionally, the versatile Q control is perfect for precise filter shaping and achieving vocal-like effects.
Road-Worthy Construction
Unlike any other pedal on the market, the Behringer Hell Babe uses no mechanical pots or switches, which significantly reduces wear-and-tear. The HB01 also features a spring-back pedal mechanism that can be adjusted to your personal preference. Complete with extremely bright LED indicators, you'll always know when the HB01 Hell Babe is activated - and when the volume boost is activated too.
- Multi-functional Wah-Wah pedal offers everything you need for all styles and sounds
- Designed to compete head to head with leading products on the market
- Total optical control for wear-and-tear free pedal operation (no mechanical pots and switches
- Unique spring-back pedal mechanism with resistance adjustment for ultimate playing style (removable)
- Heel-down frequency range freely adjustable via Range control (440Hz to 250Hz) for use even with bass guitars
- Additional Fine Tune controls high-end extension of sweep range for incredibly bright and present tone
- Ultra-musical Q control for precise filter shaping to achieve vocal-like effects
- Tunable boost function including On/Off switch to push your licks up to the limit
- Dual LED indicators for Effect On/Off and Boost On/Off at the tail of the pedal for total control
- Ultra-low noise circuitry for outstanding audio performance
- Runs on 9V battery or the Behringer PSU-SB DC power supply (not included)
- Designed and engineered in Germany
- Input Connector: 1/4'' TS
- Input Impedance: 1MΩ
- Output Connector: 1/4'' TS
- Output Impedance: 1kΩ
- Output/Bypass Connector: 1/4'' TS
- Output/Bypass Impedance: 1kΩ
- Power Supply: PSU-SB 9VDC or 9V Battery
- Dimensions: 99mm x 120mm x 254mm / 3.8'' x 4.7'' x 10'' (H x W x D)
- Weight: 1.2kg / 2.6lbs
The product price includes 4 years' warranty and 60 day money back guarantee.
However, the Gear4music extended warranty scheme provides an enhanced service, and is designed to offer a higher level of protection than many 'free' warranties offered by some retailers and manufacturers.
The highlights of this enhanced warranty service are:
- Warranty is extended to 4 years from the date of delivery.
- Our Money Back guarantee is extended from 30 days to 60 days (terms apply after 30 days)
- Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years
- Claim 50% cash back on the cost of the policy after 4 years if it has not been used!
- Warranty is transferable if the item is re-sold
- Loan or replacement equipment will be provided if the product isn't repaired within 30 days
- If an item can not be repaired, a similar alternative product or cash discount (as defined in this policy) will be offered
- The policy can be cancelled within 30 days, and at any time after that for a pro-rata discount
Please note that this extended warranty is currently only available on products sold within the EU or EEA, and is subject to the terms and conditions as detailed on the extended warranty certificate provided.
For customers in outlying areas of the country, the price of the Extended Warranty may be marginally higher, due to the potential for higher collection and redelivery transport costs.
This enhanced warranty is in addition to the standard Gear4music and manufacturer warranty policies, and the Gear4music terms and conditions of trade. No statement or condition of sale contained within these terms affects or restricts your statutory rights as defined under the Consumer Contracts Regulation 2014.
Once the product is delivered, you have 60 days to decide that you definitely want to keep it. If you decide it is not suitable for any reason, you can return it back to us for replacement or full refund, including standard delivery charges.
All Products are new unless stated, and include a minimum of 2 years warranty.
Some items are only eligible for money back guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging, and in the case of software, unregistered. These items include:
- Software
- CDs & DVDs
- In-ear Monitors
- Earplugs and Ear Protection
- Mouthpieces, Reeds etc… for Woodwind and Brass instruments
- Mouth / Lip Care Products
We are unable to accept returns of any custom made items designed to work together as a unique package, such as computer system built to a customer's personal specifications. Exceptions may only be possible with prior agreement of the vendor, and may be subject to a cancellation fee.
If you also purchase items that do not qualify for free delivery, some delivery charges may be applied to your order which will be shown in your shopping basket.


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8.30am: I arrive at the office early and head up to Cloud 9, our staff restaurant, to enjoy a cooked breakfast with some of the other trainees. The sun is shining so we sit on the terrace and enjoy the views across London. We all try to meet regularly to catch up and discuss our various seats.
9.15am: I head down to my office, make myself a coffee and begin making a to-do list for the day. My supervisor has scheduled a meeting with me at 9.30am to discuss a new deal and set me some tasks.
9.30am: After checking my emails, I am asked by my supervisor to produce a first draft of a legal charge for a new matter. We discuss the structure of the deal and the issues that will need to be addressed. As part of the team, trainees are given a high level of responsibility and are expected to assist in drafting important documents. I download the Taylor Wessing legal charge precedent and begin making the necessary amendments.
11.00am: I attend a short training session which is delivered by our professional support lawyer. Regular training sessions are important to ensure the team is always aware of new developments in the law.
11.45am: I continue with my drafting of the legal charge. As the deal involves some development work, I speak to an associate in the construction and engineering department for assistance. Taylor Wessing has a great collegiate atmosphere and departments often work closely with each other.
1.00pm: I head outside the office to grab some lunch in the sunshine. A large temporary screen has been installed in the square outside where I can watch Wimbledon while reclining in a deckchair!
1.45pm: I arrive back at my desk and have a voicemail message from a trainee at another firm wanting to discuss some amendments to draft board minutes. I call her back and we negotiate some wording to be inserted. I check this with the supervising associate who agrees it is appropriate. I email the trainee to confirm the board minutes are agreed.
2.30pm: On a separate matter, I attend a brief conference call with a client to discuss some outstanding points in a draft loan agreement and take detailed notes. Following the call, I assist my supervisor in incorporating these points into the document. Many of the outstanding points are commercial (rather than legal), however it is important that everyone understands the client's concerns.
4.00pm: I sit down with my supervisor to discuss my draft legal charge. He makes some amendments to ensure the document is more favourable to our client. We then send the document to the borrower's solicitors for their review.
5.00pm: I update the 'CP checklist' for another matter that I have been working on. The CP checklist records the progress of the 'conditions precedent'. I collect updates from the various departments working on the matter. I also speak to our counterparts at a law firm in New York who are advising the client on aspects of US law. The multijurisdictional nature of the work can be very interesting and trainees are often the main point of contact for foreign counsel.
6.30pm: The firm is hosting a client summer drinks event and I have volunteered to assist with welcoming the guests and handing out name badges. When all of the guests have arrived, I grab a cold beer and network. Events like this are a great opportunity to meet and speak with clients in a friendly environment.


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Race proven on the cobbles of northern Europe and the high passes of Colorado, Argon 18's Gallium Pro Frameset has what it takes to bring you to the winner's circle. Top-of-the-line high-mod carbon construction boosts speed and responsiveness, while a massive bottom bracket area and equally large asymmetric chainstays transfer all your power to the road. In front, a stiff tapered carbon fork and Argon 18's 3D head tube ensures an ideal fit for every rider. And, to help take the edge off rough roads, Argon 18's HDS technology builds vertical compliance into the top half of the frame for a super smooth, efficient ride.
|Argon 18 6100 HM carbon
|Argon 18 Ga31 monocoque carbon fork
|FSA and Aero 3D
|Bottom Bracket
* Subject to change without notice.Back to top


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Amish "Glacier Country" Pine Log Patio Chair by Montana WoodworksDesigned with a contoured slated seat to allow for drainage of moisture and debris when used outdoors, this gorgeous Amish log chair will add rustic elegance indoors as well. This Lodgepole Pine log patio chair style is reminiscent of the Grand Lodges of the Rockies, circa 1900, and is a perfect fit with the Montana Woodworks "Glacier Country" Amish Pine Patio Table by Montana Woodworks.
Approx. dimensions: 19"W x 18"D x 36"H, 20 lbs
Seat height is 18".
This character-rich piece of Amish furniture by Montana Woodworks is handmade in America from sustainably harvested, dead-standing Lodgepole Pine. The pine logs used to construct this deck chair are hand-peeled with a draw knife to remove the outer bark while keeping the inner bark in tact for increased texture and a natural contrast with the creamy pine wood. The piece is completed with an 8-step stain and lacquer finish for durability and low maintenance.
Each piece of this durable heirloom-quality rustic furniture is signed by the artist who makes it.
As with most of our Amish log furniture, this log patio chair is delivered to your curbside free of charge to the lower 48 States. This item generally ships within 7-10 business days. The manufacturer offers a 20-year materials and workmanship warranty on all of their rustic furniture.


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Pastoral Visits
ICE/ERO Performance-Based National Detention Standards 2011
5.5 Religious Practices - V. Expected Practices
5.5 Religious Practices - V. Expected Practices
F. Pastoral Visits
If requested by a detainee, the chaplain or religious services coordinator or designee shall facilitate arrangements for pastoral visits by a clergyperson or representative of the detainee's faith.
The chaplain or religious services coordinator may request documentation of the person's religious credentials, as well as a criminal background check.
Pastoral visits shall ordinarily take place in a private visiting room during regular visiting hours. Accommodation may be made in the legal visitation area when available.


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Dr Karen Baker
Dr Karen Baker graduated with her medical degree from the University of Queensland with a keen and early interest in Obstetrics and Gynaecology after helping to deliver babies during her rural term in medical school. Born and bred in Brisbane, she started her training at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital specialising in tertiary high risk obstetrics as well as supervision of midwifery based birth centre models. During her senior years of training at the RBWH, she took a special interest in providing specialist care for early pregnancy complications to improve access and decrease emergency department waiting times to patients during a difficult and worrying time.
Further training in peripheral hospitals including Redcliffe and Bundaberg has given Karen a good understanding of general gynaecological conditions and increased surgical experience, as well as the appreciation of working in a team in which continuity of care and personal interest in patient's wellbeing are priorities. She is one of the newest additions to the Bayside Obstetrics and Gynaecology group and is making her home in the Redlands community.
Special interests: High risk pregnancy, medical illness associated with pregnancy, early pregnancy complications, general gynaecology, abnormal pap smears, and infertility


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In association with Halogen Audio and Ensign Design
The Music Is Dead Launch Party is spread over two nights with eight of the country's best rock bands at Auckland's King's Arms Tavern!
$4 from every ticket goes to KidsCan!
MusicIsDead.org for interviews!
tickets $20 from utr.co.nz
Night one (Thursday 15) is headlined by best rock album VNZMA nominees Ekko Park! After a brief stint in the UK, a tour with I Am Giant and shows with Fire At Will at the tail end of 2014 Ekko Park are at the top of their game. Hit singles include 'Simpatico' and 'My Crime' both of which topped the NZ iTunes Rock chart followed up by the number two placing 'Becoming The Enemy'.
Thin White Lines - One of NZ's best kept secrets their new single 'Chemicals' from the EP of the same name is proof enough that it's time Thin White Lines climbed the ranks of NZ's pop punk to take their place at the top.
Braves - Played Tape Deck Fest 2014 (AU), they've supported some of pop punk's finest international acts, including State Champs and Neck Deep.
Silence The City - Have shared stages with Blacklistt, have been announced to play Homegrown 2014 and their cover of Ellie Goulding's 'Burn' has been watched almost 200,000 times on YouTube. Stand out tracks are: 'The Chase' and 'After The Tone'


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Sunday, 7 December 2014
Life Lately
Less than 3 weeks to the big day! I 100% promised myself that with 3 weeks to go I would be sorted present wise. PAH! Emergency shopping next weekend I think!
This week has (suprise suprise!) been a lot about Christmas beginning with my towns light switch on and culminating in works Christmas party, which I remember 80% of!
The Christmas light switch on was amazing! It may not be big, busy and have very few shops but they shut off the whole high street and filled it with little stalls, food, mulled wine and a tiny fun fair. And reindeer... There were reindeer! Oh and a stilt walking Elvis in angel wings just for good measure.
We were going to wait until this weekend to decorate, but we caved and left work early on the 1st, got in some mince pies, put on a Santa hat, turned up the Xmas songs and went crazy with the tinsel. Our house is like a grotto now and we LOVE it! This is why living in a female house rocks, not sure a male could cope with all the glitter. Our calender is also filled up with Christmas meals galore :)
Friday was the day of our work party, a 1920's theme. They did such an amazing job decorating the room and a free bar meant that I woke up on Saturday morning in my onesie, full face of makeup and headband still on with a cut on my nose a bruise above my eye, and half the office sleeping on our living room floor. As a house we are still collectively trying to piece together our movements from that night, though maybe some things are better left unknown?!
Oh and FYI #bbloggers, if you are looking for a lipstick with the staying power of a king, I suggest investing in Rimmell's Kate. I still somehow had a perfect pout on Saturday morning!
How have your weeks gone and what's your festive position? I am going to spend this next week shopping, wrapping and baking some mince pies!
Labels: Lifestyle
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Prince Eze Madumere is the deputy governor of Imo State. Before becoming deputy to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Madumere was chief of staff to the governor. In this interview with journalists, he highlights the efforts of the Imo State government to ensure security of life and property. Anayo Okolie was there. Excerpts:
Do you think your government is achieving the Rescue Mission agenda under which you campaigned and was voted into office?
If you do a proper assessment of the Owelle Rochas Okorocha-led Rescue Mission government in the last dispensation, you would give him credit for his focus, visionary leadership and passion to develop Imo. We started the idea of 70 per cent capital projects and 30 per cent recurrent. For the first time since our new democratic administration, Imo State had some relief in road construction, road rehabilitation and infrastructural development. Our local governments received appreciable facelift, as average of 18-kilometre road was constructed in each of the 27 local governments of Imo State.
We should not lose the sight of the fact that we cannot discuss growth and development without making the environment conducive for businesses to thrive; for investors to appreciate the environment before investing. So, what you see is the vision and passion of a great leader in action. We are not just talking about by-passes but we are constructing the first ever flyovers in Imo State. I must bring to your knowledge the vigour with which the governor has attacked ecological problems in Imo State, which I believe would have hampered movement and economic activities in many areas.
Many see you and your principal, Governor Rochas Okorocha, as rallying point for progressive politics in the South-east. Would you say you are living up to this billing?
Leadership is all about mobilising people to greatness. It does not exist in a vacuum. The first thing to ask is if my leader and governor has given the right leadership through his performance as the governor of Imo State and his role in ensuring that Ndi Igbo are given their rightful place in the scheme of things. Of course, you know it is only in Imo State that you have free education from primary to tertiary level.
Imo State is among the states that have been able to pay salaries, despite the economic downturn. Since the inception of this administration, Rescue Mission Government has in no little measure ensured that there is security of life and property and we have never stopped at that but we have always created conducive atmosphere for our people to appreciate their home coming. Imo State is the freest state in the federation, where its citizenry are free to tell their government how they feel without fear of molestation or intimidation. That symbol of freedom, which is the soul of democratic rule, is symbolised by the construction of freedom Square, where you can go and pour your mind on how you feel about the government and you will be given publicity, even on state-owned radio, free of charge and we hear you. We give attention to constructive criticisms, especially when there is effort to make input towards solving an issue.
Having said that, Governor Rochas Okorocha, people may have forgotten, has always played a major role to ensure that there is peaceful coexistence between the Igbo and their brothers in the North and in the South-west. This is not unconnected with his many interventions at various critical moments. Governor Okorocha's role in Nigeria Peace Forum shows he is not just an Igbo leader but a patriotic Nigerian leader who has never pretended about his wish for a more cohered and unified Nigeria and, possibly, a nation where tribal, ethnic and religious sentiments will be diminished.
Owelle has given the right leadership and it was his vision that opened the window of opportunity for Ndi Igbo in the present progressive federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Of course, he was never given a chance when he campaigned vigorously for the emergence of the present federal government. He was hounded to a point, but he daringly maintained his stand. That is what it takes to be a visionary leader. Today, Ndi Igbo are part of the government and our president is doing well to ensure that every zone gets their fair share of dividends of democracy.
Recently, your own people of Mbieri honoured you at an event at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, in Lagos State. Knowing the popular saying that a prophet is without honour in his own kindred and among his own people, were you surprised by that recognition?
That was a great honour done to me by my people. I must commend them for appreciating their own. When I was the chief of staff, my people also hosted me to a lavished grand reception. Truly, my people are great and they appreciate the effort of the government since the inception of the Rescue Mission government. My people are just being appreciative because we have never had it this good in terms of having an Mbieri man being a chief of staff, and as if that was not enough, my leader, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, in his magnanimity found me worthy to be his deputy and to also run with him during the last general elections that ushered in this dispensation.
It is also important to note that there are some of my brothers who are also committed to another political family and they are bound to raise their heads as an opposing force. This is democracy and it is, indeed, a reality in the polity. I appreciate them since they have in a way encouraged me to be always up and doing. The greatest honour they can do to me is their total support to Governor Okorocha who made it possible for Mbaitoli to be where they are today.
Frankly speaking, this is the largest single local government area in Nigeria with the highest registered voters, which has not reflected in their voting pattern. My people have more number of individual achievers and I believe bringing them together to pursue a developmental course will yield so much result. I am happy that they are beginning to appreciate that we are under achievers considering both human and material resources at our disposal.
The state government's involvement in the idea of Christmas villages and lights has attracted so much criticism. Do you see these projects as economically viable?
You definitely will not expect everyone to clap for you even if you spill your blood for them. Such people will still say you have done nothing. Since the inception of this administration, Rescue Mission Government has in no little measure ensured that there is security of life and property and we have never stopped at that, but we have always created conducive atmosphere for our people to appreciate their home coming. None of those rumour mongers will tell you that our carnival has got national and international notice.
They will not tell you that our Capital City is one of the most alluring in the country with a piece of artwork you could hardly find anywhere around with fountains. They will not tell you that Imolites make over N1 million. Photography alone constitutes about 30 per cent of the earnings. Our Freedom Square is a beauty to behold as parents, young people and children find it so receptive that they would not let go. Without sounding immodest, Freedom Square hosts over 1, 000 people within the period under review. You can understand that beyond creating a place for family picnics and visits, the effort also created avenue to make our people generate incomes.
Owerri was the last administrative headquarters of the defunct Biafra. Is the city also witnessing pro-Biafra demonstration? Besides, the pro-Biafran agitators refer to the Imo State government officials as "sabo", that is saboteurs, while the Imo establishment lampoons the protesters as working against the cause of Igbo presidency. In actual fact, who is sabotaging who?
Like I said in my last interview with my friends in the media, I made it plain that it is the inalienable right of every citizen to protest and request of the establishment whatever that is due them.
Agitation is a means to an end, but the issue is what is being agitated for. If you discuss the welfare of Ndi Igbo, just like other zones have agitated, it is okay. But once it is something out of reach it would definitely hit the rock. We are against anything that will break the country. Agitation for Biafra was basically born as a result of marginalisation and other issues that bordered on the insecurity of the life and property of the Igbo.
Again, what our leader of blessed memory, Ikemba Odumegwu-Ojukwu, yearned for was never outright breakaway of Ndi Igbo, but a Nigeria where equity, justice and fairness would reign. He sought for extreme federal system of Government, if you like, confederation, which agitation has refused to go away. The total secession was an option to still preserve the dignity of Ndi Igbo, which I would consider devils alternative following the incongruous and irretrievably severed relationship among the leaders of the regions in the polity then. So, our leader, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, understanding the intricacies of what is at stake, called for caution.
He did not only stop at that, he initiated a move with his colleague governors of the South-east to quell such agitation. It is unfortunate that we lost some of our children, but it is better for Nigeria to remain an indivisible entity and we shall be better for it. All I will advise is for us all to join hands and say no to ethnicity, religious bigotry and fundamentalism, by then we would have achieved 80 per cent nationhood.
With the bad state of the national economy, what can states do on their own to stay afloat?
We appreciate the sad situation in our economy. This is rather a result of complacency on the part of the preceding governments. It is a sad tale of failing to plan and relying wholly on monoculture economy. I am happy that President Buhari came at a time he came to instil discipline and to squeeze out stolen monies. I also believe that diversification of the economy is the key to saving us from this embarrassing quagmire.
Imo State as it were is just a part of the whole and whatever happens to the whole will definitely affect its part. And the way our federal system of government is structured, you cannot say you are in charge of your state economy. We still believe that this will be addressed in the nearest future. We are looking inward and our slogan has been "job, job, job; industry, industry, industry; employment, employment, employment." We are not saying we shall be building gigantic industries but those cottage industries that are agro-based.
It will be small and medium scale enterprise driven and above all, agriculture and agribusiness. What we fail to understand is that we must as a people work out plans to feed ourselves, take care of the domestic needs and then move ahead with production of surplus for exports. This is exactly what we need to do.
Importing things like tooth pick, salt, tomatoes, pencils, plastic product and some others are quite disheartening. By the time we agree to get these things produced within, we would have salvaged the situation while expecting much more from those in science and technology to lead out in finding solutions to our dire need of machinery and researching out techniques to utilise our raw materials. Imo is ready to contribute her quota to realising the Nigeria of our collective dream.
Are you planning to do more in the area of school sports after the tournament you recently sponsored?
I thank God for what we were able to achieve between 2014 and 2015 in sports. I have always had passion in youth development, capacity building and, above all, having a healthy productive population. There are many dimensions to analysing the importance and benefits of engaging in sports. One, sports brings about discipline because there are rules in any sporting event one must abide by if you want to do well.
Engaging in sports makes for a healthy body and a sound mind. It takes the youth off crime because it is said that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. Again, there is career and fulfilment in sports. It is in sports that you find young people become very famous at a very young age and earn so high, which changes their social status in the society. It is also a way of creating positive habits in the youth and to make them become conscious of the need to exercise even in old age for healthy living.
We were to host the first female football competition but we had to shelve that for issues of strategic importance. God willing, we shall make our youth in sports smile this year in our own little way. I love sports and I have sponsored football competitions and this has spanned over two decades. That is to show you how much I value sporting events. Last year, with my partners, we got into athletics, which was appreciated by our children and sports lovers. It was full of revelations, with sports enthusiasts applauding that little effort. We shall definitely do much more to encourage the young ones.
What major projects is the Imo State government planning to embark upon this year?
Governor Rochas Okorocha-led Rescue Mission administration has remained consistent since the last dispensation in its policy thrust, especially in the area of education, rural development, security of life and property, road and infrastructural development. Most importantly, we have been able to bring freedom back to the people of Imo State. I will take it this way, the first charge of any government is security of life and property. Another charge is interest aggregation and harmonisation, and the last charge is creating conducive environment and provision of visible and invisible incentives.
For this dispensation that is barely seven months, our focus is, like I said earlier, on building a productive base for Imo State, which we already have built the needed structure to see this come to fruition through our Community Government Council. The plank of this dispensation's policy revolves around industrialisation, for which small, medium scale and agribusiness will take the front seat. Education is also a priority area.
His Excellency, in his belief that equipping the children and putting everyone, irrespective of the background, on equal footing, thereby giving every child equal opportunity to be what he wants to be, has continued with free and qualitative education for every child in Imo State from primary to tertiary level.


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Works Great! - SLX Focus Light review by Eric Hanauer
Back to Nocturnal Lights Home || Back to Reviews
I just returned from diving the atomic shipwrecks at Bikini, the first extended use of your modeling light. It worked great on penetration diving inside the Saratoga. We were working in total darkness, and I was depending on the light for sight as well for illuminating the model for focusing. It worked great.
-Eric Hanaer
Professional Underwater Photographer
Source: Email Testimonial


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Iowa Public Radio's 2017 Arias in April series continues with a brilliant January performance by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. We'll broadcast Verdi's La Traviata on Saturday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 30 at 11:00 p.m.
A tragic love story set in Paris around 1870, Verdi's La Traviata opens with Alfredo Germont falling in love with the courtesan Violetta Valéry. They live happily for a time before Alfredo's father Giorgio convinces her to leave Alfredo for his own honor. The gorgeous soprano Danielle Talamantes performs as Violetta with tenor Jason Slayden as Alfredo and Stephen Gaertner as Germont. Eric Ferring appears as Gastone with Erin Bryan as Annina, and Loralee Songer as Flora. Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre founder and Artistic Director Dr. Daniel Kleinknecht conducts, while James Marvel serves as guest Stage Director.


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Class Schedule
GHS Semester I 2017 Schedule
I am available DAILY from 7:00am to 7:50am in the mornings and afterschool from 3:05 to 4:30pm.
"The mission of Georgetown High School, in cooperation with the home and community, is to provide educational opportunities for life long learning and for ethical, productive participation in a democratic society and the global community."
Copyright © 2018 Georgetown High School


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There is still no precise evidence to prove how, when and where the diamond cutting first began or who made the first attempt to cut diamonds. However, we can definitely put together the probable episodes to create a chronological order of the events from the times when simple diamond cutting tools were used until the times when cutting edge technologies have forayed.
As it turns out, diamonds were initially not cut at all. Diamonds in the early stages of its discoveries were used in their original or natural octahedral shape. In fact, those diamonds that were not naturally of octahedral shape were not used at all. Not much was done to the diamonds. At the most they would be polished to improve the shine of the diamond's face. There were some diamond cutters who took the trouble of cutting the very rough diamonds into the desired octahedral ones. This cut was referred to as the point cut.
The 14th century gave birth to numerous diamond polishers in Nurnberg and by the 15th century the point cut was upgraded. Diamond cutters started removing most of the octahedral shape to form the table cut. They also went on to introduce the culet. Consequently, four facets were added. The diamonds back then were not cut to attain the maximum fire or brilliance.
In the 15th century, a Flemish polisher Lodewyk van Berquen unveiled the symmetrical facets. He is credited today for the creation of the pear-shaped stone that comprises of triangular facets on both sides. Then the rose cut or rosette cut, believed to have been imported from India, came into the scene. The brilliant cut first appeared in the 17th century. The early brilliant cut consisted of 17 facets on the crown which later increased to 33 facets by a Venetian polisher, Vincent Peruzzi. Next came the European diamond cut, that boast of a shallow pavilion and a round shape with an arrangement of facets that is far different. This turned out to be the forerunner of the modern round brilliant cut diamonds.
With the onset of the 20th century, one could see a revolutionary change in technology wherein an improvement in diamond cutting technology was also very much evident. The extensive research done by Marcel Tolkowsky paved the way for the developments of the modern diamond cuts. The diamond industry soon bloomed and eventually came to what we see it today. Today, diamond cutters use cutting edge technology, computer and lasers, to give the much needed fire and brilliance that the diamonds are so famous for.


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August 05, 2014 08:30 ET
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 5, 2014) - CCL Industries Inc. ("CCL") (TSX:CCL.A)(TSX:CCL.B), a world leader in specialty label and packaging solutions for global corporations, small businesses and consumers, announced today that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire Bandfix AG ("Bandfix"), located near Zurich, Switzerland. Bandfix is a privately owned label company increasingly focused on European Specialty customers with estimated sales for the calendar year of 2014 of $47.0 million and anticipated adjusted EBITDA of approximately $3.5 million. The agreed debt and cash free enterprise value is $18.0 million subject to customary closing adjustments. The transaction is expected to close this quarter subsequent to local regulatory approval.
Geoffrey T. Martin President & CEO of CCL Industries Inc., commented, "Bandfix has a long history in the European label industry and brings to CCL a foothold in Switzerland, home to the headquarters of many important global customers, especially in the Healthcare & Specialty space. We are pleased to welcome Bandfix employees to CCL and have solid plans to invest in Switzerland to develop the business for future growth and improved profitability. The operation will change its trading name post close to CCL Label, Switzerland and report to Guenther Birkner, President of our Food & Beverage business and our senior operating leader in Europe based nearby in Austria."
CCL Industries employs approximately 10,100 people and operates 97 production facilities in 27 countries on 5 continents with corporate offices in Toronto, Canada, and Framingham, Massachusetts. CCL Label is the world's largest converter of pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for a wide range of decorative, instructional and functional applications for large global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare, automotive and consumer durables markets. Extruded plastic tubes, folded instructional leaflets, precision printed & die cut metal components with LED displays and other complementary products and services are sold in parallel to specific end-use markets. Avery is the world's largest supplier of labels, specialty converted media and software solutions to enable short run digital printing in businesses and homes alongside complementary office products sold through distributors and mass market retailers. CCL Container is a leading producer of impact extruded aluminum aerosol cans and bottles for consumer packaged goods customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, as defined under applicable securities laws, (hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are predictive in nature or depend on future events or conditions. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans" or similar expressions. Statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, priorities, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook of the Company, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Specifically, this press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the successful integration of Bandfix into CCL including additional investment in Switzerland; estimated EBITDA improvements; expected integration and transaction expenses and the Company's expectations regarding general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties relating to future events and conditions including, but not limited to, the evolving global financial crisis and its impact on the world economy and capital markets; the impact of competition; consumer confidence and spending preferences; general economic and geopolitical conditions; currency exchange rates; interest rates and credit availability; technological change; changes in government regulations; risks associated with operating and product hazards; and CCL's ability to attract and retain qualified employees. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements as the Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are also based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about the following: global economic recovery and higher consumer spending; improved customer demand for the Company's products; continued historical growth trends, market growth in specific segments and entering into new segments; the Company's ability to provide a wide range of products to multinational customers on a global basis; the benefits of the Company's focused strategies and operational approach; the achievement of the Company's plans for improved efficiency and lower costs, including stable aluminum costs; the availability of cash and credit; fluctuations of currency exchange rates; the Company's continued relations with its customers; and general business and economic conditions. Should one or more risks materialize or should any assumptions prove incorrect, then actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Further details on key risks can be found in the 2013 MD&A, particularly under Section 4: "Risks and Uncertainties." CCL's annual and quarterly reports can be found online at www.cclind.com and www.sedar.com or are available upon request. Except as otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements do not take into account the effect that transactions or non-recurring or other special items announced or occurring after the statements are made may have on CCL's business. Such statements do not, unless otherwise specified by the Company, reflect the impact of dispositions, sales of assets, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or transactions, asset write-downs or other charges announced or occurring after forward-looking statements are made. The financial impact of these transactions and non-recurring and other special items can be complex and depends on the facts particular to each of them and therefore cannot be described in a meaningful way in advance of knowing specific facts. The forward-looking statements are provided as of the date of this press release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
For more details on CCL, visit our website - www.cclind.com.
CCL Industries Inc.Sean WashchukSenior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer416-756-8526www.cclind.com
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In partnership with Oxford's Story Museum, 'Fabulous Mr Fox' explores the polysemic legacy of Berechiah ha-Nakdan, a 13th century Jewish polymath – he was a grammarian, translator, punctuator, stone connoisseur,
and most important for our purposes, a fabulist. He adapted Aesop's fables for a Hebrew-reading audience. His mishle shu'alim (fox fables) is still widely read and is an important part of world folklore. Berechiah has a connection with Oxford. His uncle used to live here and it is almost certain that he came through Oxford during his visits to England.
The Story Museum sits on the site of Oxford's Medieval Jewish Quarter and it is very likely that Berechiah would have walked the nearby streets. Rochester House, the current name of the Story Museum's building, is a storied site in and of itself, having been a family home, a student residence, a telephone exchange, and a post office. The museum is interested in exploring its own architectural and cultural heritage as well as engaging with a variety of communty and university groups.
What do these fables mean for us? How do we read this space?
Our project explores and creates the contemporary cultural resonance of Berechiah, the fables, and Rochester House, the site of the Story Museum.
Funded by a Higher Education Funding Council for England Knowledge Exchange Seed Fund grant by and supported by TORCH, the ultimate aim of the project is to produce a digital book that is the result of explorations and experiments conducted through workshops at the Story Museum. It will also feature high quality scans of various 'Fox and Crow' fables from across linguistic and cultural traditions that are housed in the Bodleian's collection, and short texts commissioned from a wide range of community collaborators.
The project is on going. Material will appear on this website as it becomes available. For now, check out the short film by Lucie Sheppard that documents the June 2015 dance workshop: Story Making and the Embodied Space, facilitated by Jennifer Christine Stokes, and attended by local professional dancers.The workshop uses moving bodies to both investigate the various layers of the space and add new footprints to the already rich palimpsest.
Material from the project will be featured in one of the immersive spaces of Story Museum's upcoming 'Animal – a safari through stories' exhibition (opening February 2016).